Friday 16th June 2006
PRESS RELEASE FROM COMPASSION IN WORLD FARMING - IRELAND
CHICKENS REARED FOR MEAT NEED THE
PROTECTION OF A STRONG EU DIRECTIVE, SAYS FARM ANIMAL WELFARE GROUP.
TODAY IN DUBLIN, COMPASSION IN WORLD
FARMING SUPPORTERS HAND IN A GIANT POSTCARD TO AGRICULTURE MINISTER COUGHLAN,
PRIOR TO AN EU AGRICULTURE COUNCIL MEETING NEXT WEEK. THE POSTCARD URGES THE MINISTER TO DO ALL SHE
CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT A STRONG DIRECTIVE ON THE WELFARE OF CHICKENS IS FINALISED
AS A MATTER OF URGENCY.
THE GIANT POSTCARD WILL BE HANDED IN
TO THE MINISTER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, KILDARE STREET, DUBLIN
2, TODAY FRIDAY 16TH JUNE AT 12 NOON.
The EU Agriculture Council meets
next week (on Monday 19th June).
Compassion in World Farming (CIWF),
Ireland’s leading farm animal welfare group, is urging Minister
Coughlan to do all she can to get the EU Agriculture Council
to move forward with proposals for a new EU Directive on the welfare of meat
chickens (sometimes called broiler chickens).
At present, there is no EU Directive specifically covering the welfare
chickens reared for meat.
A draft Directive on the welfare of
meat chickens has already been drawn up by the European Commission, but some
countries are now saying that this issue should be shelved because of avian
flu. CIWF
wants to see a strong EU Directive on the welfare of meat chickens agreed and
finalised as a matter of urgency. This
is the message that is being given to Minister
Coughlan on the giant postcard.
Mary-Anne Bartlett, Director of CIWF-Ireland, says:
“Each year, over 5 billion meat
chickens are reared in the EU. About 67
million meat chickens are reared and killed each year in the Republic of Ireland. The vast majority of chickens produced in the
EU are super-fast growing birds that reach slaughter weight in just 6 to 7
weeks. Because of this unnaturally fast
growth rate, these birds are prone to leg and heart problems. They have a poor quality of life because of
the environment they are reared in. They
live in huge windowless sheds. Each shed
can hold 20,000 birds or more. As the
birds get bigger, conditions become very crowded and the whole floor is filled
with chickens. They have no access to
outdoors. Most people have never seen
where the chicken they eat actually comes from. It is appalling that there is
no EU Directive for meat chickens and this gap should be filled as a matter of
urgency.”
Background
At present there is no EU Directive
specifically protecting the welfare of meat chickens. There are more meat chickens in the EU than
any other type of farm animal so it is very important that their welfare is
protected. Most meat chickens in the EU,
and in Ireland,
are reared intensively.
A draft proposed new EU Directive on
meat chickens has already been published by the European Commission. CIWF
has criticized this as being too weak. CIWF believes that meat chickens need to be given
adequate space and that slower-growing varieties of birds should be used to
avoid leg and heart problems.
For further information
Please contact Mary-Anne Bartlett,
Director of CIWF-Ireland, at 021 4639038
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